Strength and fitness is about developing your body to be able to do what you want it to do in life, not about monotonous programs. Everyone wants to be able to surf like Kelly or John John, moving effortlessly yet powerfully, like a cat in the water. You may not have grown up with Pipe in your front yard, or had a cool mum that pushed you onto waves when you were barely walking. You may not have expressed beyond outstanding talent as a grom, had the chance to travel the world surfing with your family or become the youngest surfer to compete in the Vans Triple Crown at 13.

You likely had to get a “real job” and are tied to a desk, sitting on your ass way more than feels natural on a daily basis. You probably watch the pros and imagine how you can best impersonate them on the waves tomorrow, or the next opportunity you get to surf. You probably have tight, stiff muscles, an increasingly flabby butt and joints that need some grease.

Recreational surfers typically get injured because their bodies aren’t well equipped for the demands that their weekend or holiday 2-5hr surfs place on their otherwise sedentary or stressed out bodies. For these girls and guys, a well structured mobility and strength training program is paramount to form a solid base of stability, endurance, strength, power and fluid movement.

More important than working on how much weight you can lift, or how long you can run for, is how much movement variety you have. I have been taught the principles of strength and conditioning and am often asked to write periodised programs for athletes, particularly surfers. Although these types of periodised programs have merit, it’s not how I like to work. Surfing is imperfect and every wave is different. You cannot become a better surfer in a completely controlled, structured gym environment. Although I do teach my athletes the traditional lifts (ie. deadlift, squat, pull-up, military press, etc), I also see their limitations and go beyond traditional strength training to incorporate imperfect, full-range, multi-directional movement.

This Surf Strength & Conditioning site is all about getting you there with a solid foundation of joint stability, alignment, optimal-range mobility, efficient exercise technique and balanced body strength.

Moving in ways that reduce wear and tear on joint structures, reduce strain on muscles and avoid the recruitment of inappropriate muscles is key to injury prevention and athletic performance.

“This is an amazing resource for anyone looking to take not only their surfing to the next level, but to also improve the movement skills and physical attributes that underpin health and wellbeing, and to provide a lifestyle filled with stoke! It starts with inspiration, and Michelle truly inspires and guides you through the progressive strategies to becoming ‘fluid’ in your movement. Its not just about inspiration however, these training programmes and injury prevention methods are underpinned by experience working with some of the worlds top professional surfers, but also solid foundations in performance science. This 9 month programme will guarantee the develop you need to take you to the next level, whatever your goal is.”

– Duncan French,

formerly Director of Performance Sciences and the Director of Olympic Sports S&C at University of Notre Dame, USA and currently Vice President of Performance, UFC Performance Institute.

I teach movements suitable for sports rehabilitation, right up to high performance surfing demands. The direction you wish to travel within this site are endless. This online coaching is different from other training sites because you will score the following unique components to make a natural athlete out of you: